EMOTION - Electronic music & use of ICT for young at risk of exclusion

A change and innovation in the didactic methodology is indeed the key to reduce premature school drop out, particularly of young people at risk of exclusion (i.e. migrants).

The main goal of this programe is to develop and to apply an experimental approach based on the ICT use, namely electronic music and informatics so as to enhance learning of key competences (Mathematics, Physics…) in groups at risk of exclusion and to have an insight of the impacts of such an approach on final learning.

The development and the deep analysis of an experimental approach are lacking that focus on the positive impacts of ICs and E-music on the improvement of key competences and on the school drop out reduction in at-risk groups.

The objectives of EMOTION are:

• to prove that the use of innovative and youth-friendly didactic instruments helps reduce school drop out and improve the skills of the target group of the project(young people at risk of exclusion) as it is evident that both music and the use of new technologies massively contribute to diminish their discomfort causes.
• to modify the way to deliver learning. The conclusion of the pilot projects, proves that it is possible to develop key competences in other subjects (generally difficult, which students dislike) by a training pathway based on a specific and into-practice oriented subject: music applied to informatics. A pedagogic pathway combining creativity, fun and key-competences learning, particularly mathematics, sciences, ICT. Indirectly, it permits to learn those competences that are essential to enter the labour sector.

The project is structured into 4 main directories:

Step 1: definition and development of the new didactic pathway, indicators to make a survey and to check the results
Step 2: pilot projects in 3 MS : experimentation of the new pathway
Step 3: analysis of results: comparative study
Step 4: presentation and spreading of results

Target:
• young people (aged 15 - 24) at risk of exclusion: early school leavers, migrants
• young people without qualifications or with difficulties (social-economical, physical, personal difficulties)

Expected results:
• Asses the positive impact of ICT as a basic education and training tool, particularly for young people at risk of exclusion. Exploit the potential of a new didactic approach based on ICT to reduce the Drop-out rate in Europe in the long term and to reduce the low skilled rate.
• Sensitize and draw attention to the positive influence of ICT on the learning process (particularly improvement of scientific and mathematics literacy competences)
• Main deliverables : new pedagogic tool ; dynamic website ; audio cdrom with all musical productions students will carry out during the pilot experiences; videoclip to promote the project; publication with the results from the analysis of the experimentation devoted to training and education decision-makers.

Partners:

• Association for Culture, Sport and Leisure (ACSI) - Italy
• Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry - UK
• TEHNE- Centre for Innovation and Development in Education - Romania
• Barcelona Media Foundation Pompeu Fabra University - Spain
• Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research - UK